love me, love me not
by candycity
Summary: [james/dominique] it's just a little bit right, and so very, very wrong. for the 'tragic romance' challenge on the HPFC.


For the 'Tragic Romance' Challenge on the HPFC.

James/Dominique.

Prompts: Vulnerable; Sacrifice.

* * *

><p>"damn!" he hisses as he stumbles over the unseen object, almost falling into the lake. to his dismay, although he escapes the lake's wrath, his brand-new notebook does not.<p>

"ouch! what the hell?" a too-familar voice whisper-shrieks. "james, what are you doing here?"

james looks down to see his least favourite cousin glaring at him. "watch where you're going, why don't you," she snaps. he is taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovers.

"what are _you_ doing here?" he retorts. dominique weasley is definitely not one of his favourite people. in fact, she's probably down there next to amelia goyle, that pompous, hollow-headed git.

dominique tosses her long hair, almost silver in the moonlight. "none of your business," she tells him, and sends him a disdainful stare. "why are you here, then? you do realise it's almost three a.m.?"

"i know what time it is," he snaps. "i...i just needed to think for a bit." he can't imagine for the life of him why he's telling this to stuck-up, too-pretty-for-her-own-good dominique weasley, but he's said the words and he can't take them back.

and maybe it's just him, but he thinks he sees her eyes soften a bit, and, just for a second, she looks almost vulnerable. and later, when he's lying in bed, ruined notebook long forgotten, he wonders if he'd imagined her almost inaudible reply of, "me too."

* * *

><p>"you, of all people, dom," rose says with disbelief, "<em>you<em> can't get a date for the dance?"

dominique shrugs. she's a bit surprised, too; after all, she is one of the prettiest girls in her year, veela genes or not - but she's okay with it. "i dunno," she replies with another shrug. "not a single boy asked me out."

"you can't _not_ have a date for the christmas dance, dominique," alyssa says firmly. "it is my duty as your best friend to make sure you uphold your reputation. what about daniel corner?" she suggests.

"he's got a date already, lys," rose points out. "they all have. The dance is tomorrow." she thinks for a while, then brightens. "i know! get james to go with you!" she cries.

dominique looks at her incredulously. "rose, darling," she says gently, "i think you might be losing your mind. maybe you got hit one too many bludgers during practice or something. he's – our – _cousin_."

rose rolls her eyes. "you're not that closely related," she says with emphasis. "it's settled. James potter will be your date, and your reputation will be salvaged." she high-fives alyssa, and it's dominique's turn to roll her eyes.

but is it her, or is her heartbeat just a _tiny little bit_ faster than it was before?

* * *

><p>she sends another anxious look at the mirror. "you're <em>sure<em> i look all right?" she asks for the millionth time. alyssa rolls her eyes and rose, not bothering to look at her, replies, "dom, for the last time, you. look. _fine_."

dominique blushes. she's not usually this obsessed with her appearance, but maybe it's because it's her first dance or her date –_ no, of course it's not because of that idiot,_ she scolds herself, and examines her reflection carefully.

thanks to alyssa, her makeup is flawless. her dress is absolutely gorgerous – merlin knows it _should_ be, considering how many weeks' worth of allowance she had to save to get it – and her hair has been straightened and then curled again, so that it falls around her shoulders in soft, silvery gold waves – again, courtesy of alyssa. _thank merlin_, she thinks tiredly, _that alyssa is such a genius with beauty-related magic._

"let's go, then," alyssa says impatiently. reluctantly, she follows her and rose to the grand hall. They both look amazing – rose, with her quirky smile and ruby curls, pulls off her little black dress with ease, and blonde, blue-eyed alyssa manages to re-enact a kind of vintage, hollywood glamour with her deep red lipstick and floor-length silver gown. dominique, who's absolutely hopeless at fashion and makeup, manages to pull together a halfway decent look with the help of her best friends.

she breathes in deeply and makes the slow, torturous walk down the stairs. she can feel everyone's eyes on her, and she feels like sinking into the ground and curling up into a ball.

then she catches sight of james, carelessly handsome with his slightly lopsided smirk and classic black-and-white dress robes. "well, my dear cousin," he says with a raised eyebrow, "you do clean up nicely." he grins. "but not nearly as well as me, of course."

dominique rolls her eyes but doesn't disagree. "so," she says, "are you going to dance with me, or not?"

he smirks again, and her breath catches in her throat. _but of course, it's just the nerves_, she reassures herself, gritting her teeth both in irritation and to hide her smile as he accidentally steps on her foot again.

* * *

><p>he smiles at alyssa and wonders why he feels so...<em>odd<em>.

alyssa is pretty, smart, charming and witty. but she's dominique's best friend, and it doesn't feel right. but there's no reason why he should feel that way...right?

"oi, potter," alyssa says, pulling him out of his musings. "still alive there?"

he reaches over the table and grabs her hand. "i'm great," he says with a grin. "now, darling, what would you like to eat?" she rolls her eyes at his pretend-pompousness, but can't hide her grin.

"a butterbeer and a cheeseburger, thanks," she tells the waiter and winks at him.

yeah, he's pretty sure he's in love with alyssa thomas. but what about dominique, then?

_she's your cousin, your least favourite cousin,_ his mind says contemptuously.

_and you love her, _his heart adds.

he smiles at alyssa and wishes he could bang his head against the wall for falling in love with dominique weasley.

* * *

><p><em>they're getting married.<em>

the words echoes in her mind tauntingly. her best friend, and the boy he might or might not love, a.k.a james potter, a.k.a _her cousin, hello._

she can't take this anymore. she grabs james' hand. "potter," she hisses, "i need to talk to you. outside." he looks taken aback, but not particularly surprised. he sighs when they're finally alone.

"you know, don't you?" he says tiredly. she blinks.

"know what?" she asks. he lifts an eyebrow.

"that i'm pretty much the most screwed up person on this earth, because i can't decide if i love alyssa or you!" he bursts out. her mind goes into overload, one half screaming in triumph, the other half crushed by guilt at a nonexistent relationship.

"no, actually, i didn't know. I was going to tell you the same thing."

now it's his turn to blink in shock. "you...you love me?" he asks in disbelief.

she smiles sadly. "maybe. but it can't happen, you know."

"why?" he blurts out before he can stop himself. the words come gushing out nonstop. "we can do this. we can be together. alyssa -"

"-would be heartbroken," dominique finishes. "it can't happen, james. You know that. My parents would go mad, and alyssa would never speak to me again. It can't happen, james, and you know it." she gives him a half-smile. "i just wanted some, you know..."

"closure," he finishes, and slumps in defeat. "i guess it would be pretty hard, huh?"

she nods. "yeah. And you love lys, i can tell. You love me, too, but you need lys. And she needs you." it's the ultimate sacrifice – giving up the boy she loves, but she _will_ do it, dammit.

he can't deny it. he's come to rely on alyssa's sharp wit and cheerful remarks for – well, everything. for _living_.

he offers her a tentative smile. "so, we're cool, hey?" he asks. she hesitates, then shakes her head.

"not yet," she says. "maybe in a few weeks, or months, or even years. but we will be, okay? just not yet."

"james!" a voice calls. alyssa. "james, hurry up, we have to get to the altar!"

he looks at her, a silent question. again, she shakes her head. "i can't, james. Tell lys i'm sorry for backing out at the last minute." dominique holds out the bridesmaid dress to him.

"bye, then," she says, and with a last half-smile, apparates away, leaving him standing there with a pretty white dress in his arms and a heart that might or might not be broken.

"james!" alyssa yells again. he remembers alyssa's smile, and dominique's. "_she needs you_." dominique's words echo in his mind.

he turns around, and walks back to the girl he loves and needs – to the girl who loves and needs him.

* * *

><p>I'm sorry for its suckishness. I have no imagination. Meh.<p>

Reviews are love, whether they are flames criticising my lack of talent or not.

xx Avril


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